Typical trash cans/receptacles allow for the installation of bags within and require removal that exposes the trash. Bag replacement could also take time as one would have to first remove the first bag (which would be full of trash) and then obtain and place a new bag in the trash can/receptacle. Removal is also hampered or made difficult as a result of having to lift the bag out of the trash can/receptacle.
People use trash bags at home and work but often find creative portable ways to bring them along. People tie them on door knobs at parties, tie them to the truck bed or side mirrors during a tail gate party. People also tie them to fences, railings, trees, tables, barbeques, chairs, etc. In doing so, they use regular shaped trash bags that may not, for the most part, be suitable or effective for their application. As such, people try to find ways to make the bags they use work for their use by hanging, clipping, tying or wrapping them around portable rims, stands, etc. However, they fail to find better ways to enable the efficient dispensing and installation of their trash bags.
Some typical grocery bag racks are also not able to hide the contents of the bags since the racks are not enclosed. These grocery bag racks cannot contain smells of their contents since they do not have lids. If spills occur from a ripped bag, the racks have difficulty containing the spill in an enclosed area since most grocery store bag racks have flat bases without fluid catching capability. Some bag racks that are in the grocery store checkout area are designed to allow the opening of grocery bags over a small area of space and thus are not able to accommodate a larger bag that would be able to hold a substantial amount of trash.
Trash cabinets, bins, and all types of receptacles are enclosed and can hide the bag and the bag contents easily. Trash receptacles usually have a top or lid available to contain the smell of the trash. They usually have an enclosed bottom in case of a spill. However, they do not have an easy way to organize bags or allow for rapid bag changing. Most trash receptacles cannot accommodate bags with holes in them since they do not have rods in place to receive such bags.
Many businesses and homes have custom cabinetry or basic cabinet structures. Many companies have offered slide out flat base drawers to make room for a trash can to be set inside of that drawer. While this option can hide a trash can it does not offer the fast, clean, and organized method that an aspect of an embodiment of the present invention could offer by the simple conversion of adding two straight parallel bag holding bars or rods.
Most of the rods/bars that are found inside receptacles in prior art are used for different functions and are designed as such. Some prior art rods are used to hold the type of bags that are on a roll. In contrast, aspects of embodiments of the present invention contemplate the use of bags that may be in a stack and may remain inside a firm package while hanging and dispensing by holes that are in the bags (meant for dispensing the bags and also their installation). Most prior art rods are short in length, not able to allow one leading bag to be pulled away from the stack in the rear area of the receptacle and ride along into the center area of the receptacle, where it is in the fully open, ready to use position, where it needs continued firm support. The prior art is designed with obvious notches, or protruding clips on the bars for the user to open one bag at a time and position it by hand by clipping or hanging it into position. Most of the prior art, two bar or rod type of mechanisms, are shaped for the hanging of a grocery bag by the handle, so it can be used a second time as a trash bag. The prior art bars, because of their short length or shape do not allow a large quantity of bags to load nor do they offer the ability for one bag to open and move into the ready to use position. Many prior art receptacles have parallel bars in them; the bars are generally described as being part of the structure to keep the receptacle frame up and supported. Some of the prior art bars move and become like a blender or shredder inside a receptacle to disintegrate the trash. Some of the prior art parallel bars are used as tracks or rails for a plate or wall to move on so it can become a compactor.
Some prior art bars/rods are used to connect the lid to the pedal so they can function together to allow the lid to lift once the pedal is depressed. Almost all of the prior art parallel bars are connected at two opposite sides of the receptacle where they touch the opposite walls, therefore, not allowing someone access to one side in order to load on bags in a stack nor allow a full bag to be slid off of one free hanging side to exit the receptacle. Some prior art rods are “b” shaped or have significant curves at the free hanging end of the bar or rod where the bags are loaded and also large curves at the end which connects to the rear support wall. The problem with these curves is that they do not allow a tall, firm, thick package of bags (as needed for trash bag purposes), to be loaded onto the strongly curved end of the bar/rod easily and sometimes at all. Strong curves at the loading area of the bar or rod also require wasted time to manipulate the package onto the curves. The problem at the rear area of the prior art bar with the strong curves is that they do not allow the package to sit correctly or balance evenly. The strong “b” curve at the rear end that connects to the back wall area prevents the bags from easily deploying one by one. With these structural and design limitations, bags get snagged, torn, and stuck from the rear curve and cause major time delay in having to clean up or find ways to remove the bags efficiently. In contrast, for optimal utility an aspect of an embodiment of the present invention contemplates use of bars that may be straight from the free hanging loading area all the way to the connection area of the rear part of the bar.
Previous bag dispensing apparatuses are designed to be stationary and are not easily transported. They are also not marketed nor designed to be portable or designed to be attached to other surfaces for other purposes. These types of racks are specific to t-shirt handle style bags.
In light of the foregoing problems, there exists a need for a much more efficiently designed trash can/receptacle which enables speedier bag replacement, and maintains odor control among other things.